Cinematic Arts Internship & Career Info

Initial Steps

To learn more about how to prepare application materials and find an internship, we recommend students:

鈥 Visit  website. The CSUEA serves all 23 CSU campuses, providing a wide variety of  (including information on resumes and cover letters), special events, grants, and . We also suggest students join their mailing list (register on the website) and follow them on Instagram .

鈥 Visit  website and physical location. Staff at the 好色先生 CDC can help with cover letters, resumes, interview skills, and CareerLINK (a search tool for local jobs and internships, accessible via the ). 好色先生 Career Development Center also hosts regular workshop & events; see their calendar for more info.

鈥 Follow our Cinematic Arts Department  Page and like/follow our department social media accounts on , , and .

鈥 Attend special career-related events hosted by the department, which will be prompted to students via emails, LinkedIn, and social media.

Cinematic Arts Internship Course

Internships offer students an opportunity to explore career possibilities, to enhance their classroom education with real-world experience, and to network with entertainment industry professionals while earning academic credit. 

Students are required to and responsible for securing their own internship. This generally happens prior to the start of the semester, and may be completed up to the final "course add鈥 date. All internships must be approved, include training and supervision from a professional in the discipline, and include at least 120 of on-site work during the semester (10-16 hours a week is recommended).

Students interning for course credit in fall and spring terms must enroll in CINE 492. Students interning for course credit in summer term generally enroll in COTA 492. Please see 鈥淧ost-Graduate Internship Opportunities鈥 section below.

Aside from the sources listed in the 鈥淚nitial Steps鈥 section above, other places to search for an internship include the 鈥鈥 portal (easy registration process for CSU students) ,鈥&苍产蝉辫;, , and . Students should keep in mind that most major studios and prominent production companies select their interns several months prior to the start of each semester; to find opportunities, search for the studio name + 鈥渋nternship鈥 in your preferred search engine. There are many companies with flexible application deadlines, and new opportunities are frequently posted. It is suggested that students search early, often, and set notifications on various sites. 

Students and alumni can create profiles , and should link their 好色先生 and CSU Entertainment Alliance (CSUEA) affiliations when they register; refer to  for signup instructions and checkout their newly launched .

The Department of Cinematic Arts has a long and rich tradition of student internship activity, including earning positions at major studios and broadcast networks, independent production companies, and a wide variety of local community partners. For more information, please contact Associate Professor鈥Helen Hood Scheer.  

CSU Entertainment Alliance Programs, Including a 鈥淧ost-Graduate鈥 Internship Course

The serves all 23 CSU campuses and provides numerous resources and opportunities including:

  • An through which CSU students can receive academic credit for internships for up to two years after graduating from a CSU campus
  • A wide variety of special opportunities (regularly updated), such as diversity initiatives, grants, scholarly events, industry panels and presentations, and technical workshops, and screenings
  • Internship and jobs search portal
  • Free summer housing for internship programs in Los Angeles

Please visit the  website, sign up for their mailing list, and follow them on social media. They regularly provide useful information.

Professional Development Special Events

The department provides professional development talks, workshops, and screening events throughout the academic year. Top entertainment industry professionals and successful alumni visit campus to share their work and provide candid practical advice on what it takes to launch and maintain a career. Events are widely promoted though emails from the department chair, community engagement specialist, and posts to social media and Canvas.

Follow the department鈥檚 , , , and or check out our event feed on the department website for upcoming opportunities!